>> and season five winner michael grimm. ♪ i never want someone the way that i love you ♪ >> about to unleash his debut album on the world. this is "piers morgan tonight." nick cannon is a multi-talented man, you just have to ask him, and he'll tell you, but his latest role is the most difficult of all. he's a father. he and his wife, mariah carey, are the proud parents of new twins, and he also has a new cd. and his other role is the host and second best-looking star of "america's got talent." mr. cannon, how are you, daddy? >> i'm good, i'm good. and thank you very much for having me on my show -- or your show, your show. >> you're look a little bit bleary-eyed. not getting much sleep? >> you know, i never sleep, but now it's different, because i'm actually doing like baby stuff and changing and it takes -- you have to emote more. so now -- >> are you a good nappy changer? >> yeah. we don't call them nappies, though. >> diapers. >> there you go. >> are you a good diaper changed? >> i'm good. i was actually raised around a lot of children, so i'm very comfortable around children. >> and you're enjoying it? liking being a dad? >> i'm loving it. i can't stop smiling. it's an amazing thing to look down and see miniature yous looking up at you. so, i mean, you can give me some advice on fatherhood, right? >> well, i've got three boys. i actually got you a little present? >> really? >> yeah, because i was neglectful when i saw you at "america's got talent," because you were too busy. no one would have gone to greater effort than me. it may not be the most luxurious, because sharon will get you something fancier -- >> she got me something fancy. >> you came to the shower -- >> i did send you a gift. >> but i heard that was your assistant and not you. >> this is my idea, my concept, and you won't get this from anybody else. you're a sports fan, right? >> of course. >> this is my soccer team, arsenal, in england, and these have got their names on it. >> you know what's really interesting about this. you know, i was in a movie, football/soccer movie, for half a second, with david beckham and i played for the arsenal -- >> there we are. >> and i was t.j. mcgee. so if you've ever see the movie "gold tooth." >> that's moroccan's. >> that's dope! >> and you've got my daughter a soccer jersey as well. >> why not. >> you know, i've got a gift for you too. since you're a big bawler now, i had to get you a little shirt -- that's what you would say. i feel that's a statement you would make. >> you are now famous. so i'm glad we can exchange gifts. >> your running joke with me is i was not famous enough. >> no one knew who you were in america. >> things have changed. >> you're now more famous than i am. >> in my studio. does that sicken you? >> it does. why couldn't i have gotten this job? >> tell me about your lovely wife, who is, i have to say, delightful. >> thank you. >> wherever i meet your wife, she makes me laugh, she looks sexy, beautiful. >> i hate when you say that, because i know there's this nasty undertone you have, every time you say something about my wife, i can imagine -- >> the reason you don't like it, you know she's always quite flirtatious around me. >> no, you're overly flirtatious with her. that is the problem. and i don't know how to stop that. in my neighborhood, we do things to people who -- you know -- >> are you threatening me? you're threatening me with physical violence, aren't you? >> i am. stop hitting on my wife every time you see here, please. >> i've got to ask you this, do you wake up some mornings and just think, good god, i am lying nokes to mariah carey? >> every single day -- >> i would. >> especially now, it's on a whole different level, because it's like, oh, i have my dream girl, and this is amazing, but now to actually have a family and to look down and see children that look like both of us, it's surreal, man. >> because people have been cynical about your relationship, to put it mildly. >> yeah. >> but i've seen you with mariah a lot, and i just see a completely happy, loving couple. are you pleased that you've now got the babies to kind of say to people, you know what, whatever you thought about us, this is permanent. this is real. >> absolutely. i mean, but we don't really sit around and think about, you know, what the public says. i think the elation and the joy comes from more of just being able to beat the odds. whatever those odds were, but to do it together and understand the power of our union. but, then, of course, you know, we kind of set ourselves up, when you think with about the way that we got married. it was out of the blue, it was less than a month. so everybody was saying, like, this has to be some type of publicity stunt. so we kind of understand that aspect of it. >> why were you so sure? >> i was so sure because that was mariah carey! i mean, i've always loved her, i've always been a huge fan, that was like my celebrity crush. and when i met her for the first time, i thought, i might have to meet this diva and i'm going to have to do this and -- and she was so down to earth and so normal and so regular. and a lot like i was. and i was like, whoa, this might be what i've been searching for all my life. >> did she know that she was your dream girl? >> i don't think she did. i mean, after the first 20 minutes she did. after me salivating over her. but once we started to have a real conversation and spiritual conversation, it was one of those things where it's love at first sight, where you just can't -- it's that giddiness. you know, usually that giddiness only lasts for the first couple of days, but then it's like, all right, it's been a week, it's been two weeks, this isn't going away. >> you were like love sick puppies. >> when you see us together, we can't stop touching each other and talking about each other. it's real. it's definitely a fairy tale relationship. i know it doesn't happen often, so people tend to be very skeptical of it, but it's a blessing, man. i've been happy. >> what's it been like to you to come into mariah's sort of fabulous wealth and everything. this crazy world she exists in. you've talked quite movingly about your upbringing. this is a completely different world for you. >> i talk about that a lot in my stand-up act. interestingly enough, there's a perception of my wife, the billionaire. like, that's -- we don't operate like that. we are normal people. she comes from very humble beginnings, i come from very humble beginnings. it's like, oh, you know, everyone's thinking we're bathing in champagne and there's gold toilets -- it's not really that. it's, you know, we don't really think about that, but my life changed in such a way to where it was more out in public, and i had to adjust to that, especially me being such an open person and a silly guy and always saying things, i had to understand that, all right, there's some things you keep for home and you don't talk about. >> who's the boss of the home? >> me, dammit! nah, man. right now the kids are the boss. but i've learned even as a husband, the duties you have to play within the union. it's like, i'm definitely the man in my house, but i definitely have to, you know, lean on my wife's understandings when she has a lot more knowledge and wisdom in certain areas. so it's a give and take. it's a 50/50 relationship. >> what do you think mariah saw in you? >> what did she see in me? she saw -- and i always think what we saw in each other was with a sense of humor and the festiveness. we both have a great time and we don't take anything seriously. and we just enjoy life for what it is. we wake up every morning happy about waking up. and everything else is icing on top of that. >> but i remember her coming on "america's got talent" -- >> and take 70 hours to get to the stage. >> well, she did. she did, but it was a fascinating thing to watch, because after i'd heard all the stories about her, i didn't see a diva, i saw a perfectionist. i saw somebody who was prepared to put herself through ten hours -- never mind everybody else. she was not going to get on that stage until she was 100% right about what everything -- the lighting, the sound, the way she -- i found it impressive. i mean, that's how you get to the top, isn't it? it might be annoying to everyone -- >> yeah. it happened by mistake. she'll go -- she'll work harder than anybody. and when she was on "america's got talent," she was in the director's booth looking at the shots, making sure how her entire show's going to be choreographed, from the time she's writing a song all the way to the time she's performing it, she's a perfectionist. >> because you have that work ethic? >> i do. >> talk me through your ridiculous working day. the normal day. >> yeah, well, it depends on what coast i'm on, but it usually starts very early in the morning. if i'm on the west coast, my day starts around 1:30 a.m. to broadcast my radio show in new york. if i'm -- and you're doing it for four hours, right? >> yeah, four hours. if i'm on the east coast, i get to stay in bed a little longer, i don't have to be up until 3:30 or 4:00. >> but the west coast is where you are most of the time? >> right. >> you get up at 1:30? >> 1:30, probably in the studio until about 7:30, then i have a few hours to go to the gym or visit with the kids, then i'm off to my office to handle, you know, my team nick and television production duties, and then by that time, probably 1:00, "america's got talent," you know, live television, we take care of that. and when "america's got talent's" over, i'm off to the music studio, depending on what's going on, sometimes it's interviews. >> when do you sleep? >> i don't sleep. i don't sleep at all. >> do you sleep much at all? >> maybe two hours a night, and in the breaks between the live shows and rehearsals at "america's got talent," i get an hour nap. so i try to get about four hours throughout the day, it's really never more than two hours consistent. >> i mean, that's extraordinary. >> i've kind of been trained that way. i mean, being a person who's been on the road since i was like 16 years old, doing stand-up and music and all that, you don't sleep a lot. i think that's what comes in this business. and a lot of people get exhausted and you see throughout their careers, they have, you know, problems with insomnia as entertainers. i've been blessed enough, i haven't had that issue yet, but i never sleep. i just go. >> the good news is with the babies, of course -- >> i'm on their schedule. >> the two hours you would have had, you're not going to have either. you're down to zero sleep. >> but i'm still run on adrenaline. >> well, have a two-minute sleep while we have a little break. when we come back, we're going to talk america's got talent and how bad you feel i'm the real star of the show. >> yeah, okay. ♪ [ male announcer ] in 2011, at&t is at work, building up our wireless network all across america. we're adding new cell sites... increasing network capacity, and investing billions of dollars to improve your wireless network experience. from a single phone call to the most advanced data download, we're covering more people in more places than ever before in an effort to give you the best network possible. at&t. rethink possible. to london starts with arthritis pain... and a choice. take tylenol now, and maybe up to 8 in a day. or...choose aleve and 2 pills for a day free of pain. enjoy the flight. the place they've been searching for. staples. the one place that makes it easy to buy a new laptop. ♪ or get one fixed. ♪ with highly trained tech experts, staples makes trouble-shooting and repairing technology just the way you want it -- easy. easy to buy. easy to fix. easy to save. staples. that was easy. ♪ it was in my sister's neighborhood. i told you it was perfect for you guys. literally across the street from her sister. 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[ indistinct conversations ] [ hissing ] agents, what did we learn here today? that lint balls are extremely flammable! well, yeah. and that 15,000 dryer fires happen every year! that's why it's important to regularly clean and inspect your vents! correct. where did you get that?! i built it. [ male announcer ] we are insurance. ♪ we are farmers ♪ bum, ba-da-bum, bum, bum, bum ♪ ♪ >> anyone can sing pop songs. when you hit those high notes, i knew, i knew that in 40 years' time, if i'm still alive, i will be now known as the guy who helped discover jackie evancho. and that's something i'm very proud of. and that makes me feel very happy. >> stop it! >> this is not your moment, piers. >> thank you! >> that was, of course, "america's got talent," and of course, it was my moment. i was taking it. >> man, you just -- see, they think that our banter is like made up. we really get frustrated with piers on the show, because every minute he can take, it's all about him. >> this is your ultimate nightmare. >> the lion's den. >> tell me about "america's got talent," because you came in -- obviously, i've been on since the start, you came in a couple of seasons ago. as you've immersed yourself in the show, what have you found that you love about it? because it becomes very contagious, doesn't it? >> yeah, it's the greatest summer job ever. i mean, i go to work every day happy. and just to see -- i mean, today, these are people that are striving for their dreams, ordinary people with extraordinary talent. and it is cliche and as catchy as it sounds, it's like, no, you get to see these people turn into stars overnight. and i have a ball doing it. i get to have fun. i mean it's a stand-up comic's dream, where it's just the craziness that we get to see. >> you were put through more stupid things this season than i've ever seen in my life. the new season starts tomorrow on nbc, but you were put through hell. i mean, they dragged you out every ten minutes, and each time it got more humiliating. >> yeah, last year was about doing death-defying things. this year, i think they just wanted to embarrass me. and they did it. and we had a good time. >> on a serious note, you're obviously involved in finding talent away from "america's got talent". >> yes, yes. >> do you have any credibility issues with the way that stars are found on these talent shows? >> it's all how it's handled, in my opinion. when something feels forced, that's when i an issue with it. when i feel like, this is fabricated. but when it naturally happens, a la susan boyle or jackie evancho, this was just a platform that their star chose to shine. >> and it's the same kind of thing when usher helped discover justin bieber, for example. you know both of them. when that happens, that in itself is just as fortuitous as if you'd entered "america's got talent." >> absolutely, absolutely. and i think the audience picks up on that as well. when they think, i was a part of an authentic moment, they'll go with it. >> and we do see contestants coming on and trying it on. they say, by the way, i don't want to influence things, but i broke my leg two years ago and i'm still having pain from it, and i'm going to sing "raise me up" and it's mainly from my leg. >> or they're singing this for their aunty who lost their house. it was like, come on, what's that have to do with the talent. >> well, i hate any sense of manipulation by the contestants, or, indeed, by the show inadvertently. sometimes you feel like something's trying to be forced. i like it, like you do, when it's organic. somebody walks on and you have like a terry fator moment. we were in vegas last week doing the boot camp, and up the road, there's terry fator, who was a $500 a week guy doing his ventriloquist act, and now he's a $100 million act. >> this is like his second $100 million deal, right? i need to start doing -- >> tell me this, we had a great dinner once, i think it was in chicago, where we talked about privacy and fame and all that kind of thing. when you see people becoming instantly very famous on this show, how do you feel? as somebody who's in that bubble of fame, do you worry about that? >> i just hope they know what they're in store for. because i would say if you weigh it out, the good things about fame are probably smaller than the bad things about fame. especially if you don't know how to handle it. because it's a magnifying glass. it's a magnifying glass on your own personality, it's a magnifying glass on your life and your lifestyle. so if you have any idios idiosinkrisies or thing like that, it's going to get magnified. if you're a great person, they'll see that, if you're a bad person, they'll see that. >> where do you draw the line, the pair of you, because you're both very famous. obviously, you've done magazine covers, you know, you did naked pictures recently, to my horror in your case, and my delight when i saw your wife. but when you put all that stuff out there and you're very active on twitter and you talk about your life and your stand-up, you can talk very personally about stuff. is there a line that can still be drawn if you do that, do you think, in terms of personal privacy? >> there is, but if you give them enough -- if you feed the sharks, they won't attack. that's how i feel. but i think i might be a little too open, because my wife actually has been phenomenal at treating her private life private and being precious about information and me, personally, i don't care. i mean, that's the beauty of what i do. i love getting up in the morning and talking about, you know, how crappy i felt coming into work, and, you know, being a stand-up, i look for the things that i may be insecure about and pulling those things out. so even just being a husband, you have to be able to balance. like, there's certain things, like, i want to go on the air and talk about a disagreement my wife and i had, and she's like, why in the hell would you tell somebody that? and even in my stand-up act, i might say, you know, my wife has all these freaking products in the bathroom. she's like, why are you telling people what i have in my bathroom. so i have to balance it out, but i have no issue. i'm an open book. >> when you see other celebrities moaning about being famous, what do you feel about? >> i hate it, man! i mean, they know what they signed up for. this is what you wanted. i mean, we all wanted to be famous, we wanted to be stars. we're in our rooms imagining what fame is like. well, this is what it's like, so you can't sit around and complain in your house in malibu as you're making millions of dollars and -- but that there's photographers outside. it's like, come on. we could be, you know, working as a coal miner, we could be doing jobs that everyday people have to do that have real issues besides, you know, a couple people who want to take pictures of us. >> and if i landed mariah carey, i would want to be photographed, all day long. >> exactly. call me, do whatever you want to do to me, i have the life. i love my life